Hollinget 

pH 8.5 

Mill Run F03-219 



American Colonial i)istorti: 



A N ADD R US* 



MADE BY 



THOMAS DONALDSON, Esq 



BEFORE 



THE MARYLAND HISTORICAL SOCIETY 



BALTIMORE, MARCH 29, 1849, 



BEING THE FOURTH ANNUAL ADDRESS ' <"> TH«,1 iSSOCIATIOfl 




A*' 



B \ I. T I M R l 
PRINTED FOR THE SOCIETY BY JOHN MURPHY & CO. 



No. 178 MAKKET STREET. 
MDCCCXLIX. 



ADDRESS. 



Mr. President and Gentlemen 

of the Historical Society: 

Two hundred and fifteen years ago, " the Ark" and " the Dove," 
after a voyage of long duration, in which they were beset with many 
dangers and but narrowly escaped disaster, at last entered together 
the waters of the broad and peaceful Chesapeake, and steering 
their course for the Potomac, sailed up between the beautiful 
groves that crowned its shores. On the 25th of March, 1634, 
being the feast of the Annunciation, with great pomp, and solemn 
and religious rites, Leonard Calvert, and the two hundred choice 
men who had come with him to build their homes in this land of 
promise, formally took possession of the territories of Maryland, 
and consecrated the soil to the cause of Christianity, and to the 
principles of religious liberty. They were peaceful, unambitious 
men, not led away from their former homes by the love of gold, 
nor by the desire of power, but anxious alone to find a retreat, 
where they might quietly reap the fruits of their industry, beyond 
the reach of the storms of persecution. More than this, they 
were men ready to act upon principles of the most enlarged char- 
ity ; since they offered to all denominations of Christians the free- 
dom they claimed for themselves. In this respect, they were far 
in advance of their age ; and on their account our State well de- 
serves the name so happily bestowed upon her of "The Land of 
the Sanctuary." Mindful of the great event to which I have al- 
luded, and of its importance as an historical fact of the greatest 



significance in the progress of the human race ; considering that 
this season is associated with feelings of affectionate pride in us 
who are politically the immediate descendants of that little band 
of settlers; and desiring to commemorate what may be called the 
joyful birth-day of our commonwealth ; you have most appropri- 
ately fixed upon the anniversary week of the landing of the Mary- 
land Pilgrims for the annual address which is provided for by the 
constitution of your Society. 

That all citizens of Maryland should entertain the pride which 
led to the selection of this day is natural, and deserving of 
commendation. It tends greatly towards keeping up that inter- 
est in the history of our State which led to the foundation 
of our Society, and on the diffusion and strengthening of which 
we must mainly depend for our future progress. And here 
let me congratulate you on what you have already accom- 
plished, in the short period which has elapsed since your un- 
dertaking commenced. Owing to some extraordinary apathy, 
years upon years had passed away, and the sons of Maryland 
seemed regardless of her fame, utterly indifferent to the preserva- 
tion of her annals, and to the collection of facts bearing upon her 
history. In most of the other original States of our Union, socie- 
ties had been for a long time formed, and by their labors had saved 
from oblivion most valuable materials for history, and had given 
rise to investigations attended with important results, both local 
and national. Not only had they exerted themselves successfully 
to bring to light much that lay scattered in private collections, in 
the hands of individuals, who in many cases did not appreciate 
the treasures they held ; but the command of means acquired by 
association had enabled them to procure from the archives of for- 
eign governments, documents of the greatest interest and value. 
About six years ago, however, certain citizens of Maryland deter- 
mined that her sons should no longer be under the reproach of 
such want of reverence, and such ingratitude toward the founders 
and benefactors of the State. They resolved to search out, and pre- 
serve with sacred care whatsoever memorials of our ancestors still 



remained undestroyed. As a means of accomplishing these pur- 
poses, they established this Society, which has already done 
something toward elevating the character of the State ; and the 
constantly increasing number of its members promises a much 
more extended usefulness hereafter. I may be permitted to say, 
however, that the importance of the Society is not yet sufficiently 
appreciated in our community, and that there still exists wide- 
spread indifference and consequent ignorance, in regard to the 
early history, not only of our own State, but of all the States in 
our national confederacy. Such is in a great degree the case 
through our country generally, but I fear that in Maryland we are 
especially subject to this reproach. It would seem, therefore, not 
inappropriate, on an occasion like the present, that I should en- 
deavor to combat this indifference, by showing the fallacy of the 
excuses sometimes urged for its justification, and by calling atten- 
tion to the sources of varied interest and rational delight, which 
are developed to the researches of the student of the early colo- 
nial history of North America. 

It is true, there are a number who are even enthusiastically en- 
gaged in this field of inquiry, as the institution of such societies 
as this show clearly enough ; but can there be a doubt that among 
our educated men generally, this indifference, and this ignorance 
in regard to our early history do in fact prevail ? It is certainly a 
mortifying admission, but it must be made. The American school- 
boy is well-instructed in the annals of ancient Greece and Rome ; 
he dwells with animated delight on the exploits, the eloquence, 
and the wisdom of their heroes, orators, and sages, and discusses 
with enthusiasm the campaigns of Alexander, of Hannibal, and 
of Caesar ; yet, in general, he knows but little of the founders of 
our American States, of their arduous and persevering efforts to 
establish civilized communities upon the shores of a new world, 
and but little, I fear, of those brave, wise, and good men who pre- 
sided in our councils, and fought in our battles, during that great 
contest for liberty which followed. Every day in society, among 
what are called well-informed men, we find those who would be 



ashamed to appear ignorant of the facts and characters which dis- 
tinguished any important epoch in modern European history, and 
who yet admit, without a blush, their want of knowledge in relation 
to the American Colonies. All that Cromwell or Napoleon did, 
or spoke, or fought, is familiar to them ; but with the military and 
civil career even of our Washington, they have but a general and 
uncertain acquaintance. They are conversant with the minute de- 
tails of all the various stages in the eventful progress of the great 
English and French revolutions, but of the long struggle of our 
patriot forefathers, which was attended with such painful vicissi- 
tudes, they know little more than the vague outlines. 

Is there, then, no patriotism among Americans, that they take 
so little interest in their own history ? Certainly, if we listen to 
the turgid strains of hundreds of Fourth of July orations, we 
would suppose, that never was there so enthusiastic a love of 
country in the hearts of any people upon earth. But after all, on 
what must all true patriotism be founded, if not on a thorough and 
familiar acquaintance with our country's history, and the nature 
and growth of her institutions? That which seems to accompany 
ignorance, and makes vaunting comparisons, in which the institu- 
tions of other countries are depreciated with contemptuous ex- 
pressions, cannot be other than spurious — a mere vain-glory, which 
can lead to no beneficial result, but will render us ridiculous in 
the eyes of the world. In individual men, nothing can be more 
fatal to all improvement of character than an overweening self-esti- 
mation, and that, in all cases, arises from a want of self-knowledge. 
The same thing holds in regard to nations, and he who would be 
of true service to his country must not nourish a bigotted pride, 
which blinds men to all distinctions of good or bad in its object; 
but he should study thoroughly her institutions, and her his- 
tory, and in that way ascertain the characteristic tendencies, 
which should be either encouraged or depressed, in order to exalt 
her to the highest attainable point of excellence. The love and 
admiration engendered by so intimate a knowledge would be 



much more sincere, and much more efficient for good, than any 
degree of pride fostered by ignorance. 

Yet it would not be just to say that the neglect of our early his- 
tory complained of, has arisen from a deficiency of local attach- 
ment, or from any undervaluing of our own institutions, as com- 
pared with those of other nations. How then, is the neglect ac- 
counted for? If the question were directed individually to those 
most liable to the charge, the answer would probably be, as it 
has been in numberless cases, that American History, especially 
American Colonial History, is uninteresting. If then the enquiry 
were pushed still further, to ascertain why it was considered unin- 
teresting, some might be at a loss for an explanation, and others 
would give answers so partial and inadequate, that we should be 
obliged from our own reflection to supply the reasons, which have 
unconsciously influenced their opinions, or rather feelings, on the 
subject. 

We should perhaps be told, that the history of the several 
American Colonies, before they became united in a national con- 
federacy, is uninteresting, because all the transactions related were 
necessarily on a small scale, and whatever, either of success or 
disaster, befel those communities, could affect but an insignificant 
portion of the human race. In each case, they were composed 
of but a few hundred, or at most, a few thousand men, clearing 
for themselves a settlement in the wilderness ; at one time, quietly 
cultivating the earth and striving to surround themselves with some 
of the comforts of their former homes ; at another, uniting with 
their neighbors to repel the attacks of savage tribes : sometimes, 
contending among themselves about the management of their 
common interests, and sometimes, complaining of the inefficiency 
or the tyranny of those who had been sent to rule over them. 
But where the labors of the statesman, or the intrigues of the pol- 
itician, affect, for good or evil, the welfare of millions ; where 
hundreds of thousands are ranged on the field in bloody oppo- 
sition, and the fate of great empires hangs upon the doubtful issue 
of a single battle ; where the elements of a powerful nation are 
thrown into confusion, and civil conflict threatens to destroy the 



8 

very foundations of society ; — where the historian, it may be said, 
portrays such exciting scenes, and treats of such momentous 
events, the magnitude of his theme lends to his narrative a sur- 
passing interest, and the political lessons to be derived from it are 
of the utmost importance. Even if we should be disposed to 
acquiesce in this estimate of the importance of a grand scale to 
give interest and usefulness to the pages of history, the views, 
which could give rise to a comparison so disparaging to our own 
colonial history, seem to me narrow, and founded on entirely 
erroneous principles. He that looks upon the history of our early 
settlements barely as the record of individual adventures, and of 
the struggles of various small communities with the difficulties 
growing out of their situation in the wilds of a new country, and 
does not connect it with the past and future, has yet to learn its 
vast significance ; and he that is struck with the result of wars, 
on however large a scale, and with the external or internal changes 
of empires, yet does not consider of even greater consequence 
the progress and development of those ideas on which depend 
the advancement of the whole human race, is ignorant of the 
true moral proportion of things. The settlement of North 
America was the beginning of a new era in the progress of man- 
kind. By it a field was opened, in which the principles of civil 
and religious liberty might have a free growth, unchecked by the 
fixed habits and traditional institutions of the Old World. The 
growth of these principles, and the spirit of national indepen- 
dence which was their natural consequence, can be distinctly traced 
through the annals of all the American Colonies, to which they 
give a grand unity of meaning and interest. If the effect of that 
great awakening of the human mind, which immediately preceded, 
and was the principal cause of the emigration to our shores, has 
not been very much overrated, and if the practical exhibition of 
a free government on the largest scale, in our own Republic, is a 
fact of the highest importance, not only to ourselves, but to man- 
kind in general, then, surely the steps which led from one to the 
other must be traced by all thinking men. with feeling? of the 



deepest interest. Considered in this light, as they should be, the 
events of our early history cannot be passed over as of limited 
effect, merely because the immediate results are not striking ; and 
whoever slights them on that account, shows that the range of his 
vision is confined to a narrow sphere. 

Even apart, however, from this view, I cannot help thinking, 
that by far too much importance is generally attached to the mag- 
nitude of space and numbers, — to what may be called the physical 
extent of the transactions recorded in history. Men are constant- 
ly deceived by false distinctions made between what is called 
large and small. The philosophical naturalist recognises in the 
minutest pebble, and in the most delicate specimens of vegetable 
and animal life, the same wonderful principles of organization, and 
the same exhibition of creative power, which strike the superfi- 
cial observer in the largest forms of nature, in the majestic oaks 
of the forest, and the unquarried Alpine peaks. Surely it ought 
not to require much consideration to convince us, that the lessons 
of history, also, are as well taught where the transactions are on a 
small as where they are on a large scale. Both large and small 
communities are composed of men. In both, there exist the same 
motives to harmony, and the same causes of strife. In both, the 
contests of men with each other, or with the circumstances in 
which they are placed, bring into active exercise the same high 
qualities of mind, and equally excite the various passions of the 
heart. The operations of these qualities and passions in men as 
individuals, and as associated masses, and their influence upon the 
course of events, constitute the proper theme and the true inter- 
est of history. The greatest living poet of our mother country, 
found among the rustic habitations of England's most secluded 
glens the same materials for tragedy as are commonly looked for 
only in the highest ranks of power and splendor. "Exchange,' 
he says: — 

" Exchange the shepherd's frock of native grey 
For robes with regal purple tinged; convert 
The crook into a sceptre ;— give the pomp 



10 

Of" circumstance, arid here the tragic Muse 
Shall find apt subjects for her highest art. 
— Amid the groves, beneath the shadowy hills, 
The generations are prepared ; the pangs, 
The internal pangs are ready ; the dread strife 
Of poor humanity's afflicted will 
Struggling in vain with ruthless destiny." 

A celebrated living artist, also, commends a certain class of 
painters, because, to use his own language, "they have shown us 
that, in the humblest sphere in life, and amid the homeliest scenery, 
the grandeur, the beauty, and the sublimity of Nature, may be 
found, for that she visits all these with the same splendid phenom- 
ena of light and shade, with which she looks on the palace, or on 
her own more favorite haunts."* 

So the Historic Muse, led by the light of a philosophic spirit, 
will find the same grand elements of political principle and action 
in all organized communities of people. And, as those best per- 
form their part in life, who consider of paramount importance the 
duties that fall to their lot, and the events they are called upon to 
deal with, so no historian that deserves the name can well over- 
value the particular theme he has chosen. Indeed, it seems to be 
a common fault with those who have undertaken to write history, 
that they distrust their own power to give interest to the narration 
of events which they fear will be considered insignificant ; and 
thus long tracts of years, in the infancy of States, or during 
which no great agitation took place, are despatched in meagre 
outlines, which afford no delight, and leave no impression upon 
the mind. Yet there is reason to think, that the faithful record of 
a small, and even peaceful community, if written in an earnest 
and appreciating spirit, would be nearly, if not quite, as interest- 
ing as a history of the vicissitudes of a large empire ; for such 
a narration could be brought more entirely within the ordinary 
range of our sympathies. An analogy drawn from works of fic- 
tion would seem to demonstrate this. The tales which meet with 

* C. R. Leslie. 



11 

most favor, and are read with the greatest and most enduring in- 
terest, are not those whose characters are chosen from the most 
exalted positions, and whose incidents affect the largest number 
of persons ; but such as deal with the every-day occurrences of 
domestic life, depicting scenes which come within the sphere of 
our personal experience, and exhibiting the operation of those 
very qualities of heart and mind, which we see most constantly 
called into exercise around us. It is unnecessary to allude to 
such works particularly, because they will suggest themselves to 
the recollection of all. There is one, however, which from the 
nature of its details, seems more than ordinarily applicable to the 
subject in hand : — I refer to the great work of Defoe. For what 
reason is it the delight of young and old ? Its hero was endowed 
with no more than ordinary capacity of mind, and possessed no 
higher moral qualities than are found in the average of men. The 
incidents of his story for the long term, during which he lived 
upon his island, are in general, of the most common-place char- 
acter, such as must have occurred to any one in the same situa- 
tion. To devise shifts for supplying himself with food, lodging, 
and some of the commoner comforts of civilized life, to plan and 
execute a system of defences for his protection against the incur- 
sions of savages, and to provide the means of escape from his 
solitude — such is a summary of the hero's action ; while his 
reflections, and the hopes and fears which agitate him, are 
such as would arise in the mind of the commonest man placed 
in the same desolate seclusion. Even afterwards, when the 
accession of numbers placed a little colony under his charge, 
no narrower scale could well be devised, on which to show the 
trials and progress of an infant community in the wilds of a new 
country. 5fet why is every part of this narrative of such absorbing 
interest ? The answer of every one would be, because it is so true 
to nature — so real — so exactly what we suppose would have taken 
place under the circumstances. Does it not follow, that an exact 
relation of what actually did take place in similar circumstances 
must also be interesting ? And would not a true account of the 



12 

progress and vicissitudes of almost any of our early colonial set- 
tlements affect us in the same manner? I believe that it would. 
The misfortune is, however, that a great deal which is presented 
to us as history, is wanting in reality — is not indeed true. I do 
not mean that it is false, but that it is deficient. It is not possible 
to ascertain all the minute facts which the imagination of a man 
of genius could supply in the composition of a work of fiction ; 
but yet there is reason to complain of the meagreness of detail to 
which we are generally treated, and the comparison just instituted 
may serve as a hint in regard to the manner in which historic 
writings should be composed. But on this topic of the historic 
mode of treatment I propose to say something more before con- 
cluding. 

Want of grandeur and want of variety in the incidents them- 
selves, may also be urged as additional and distinct reasons for 
considering our early history uninteresting. Both these object- 
ions, however, will be found on analysis nearly identical with 
that of which I have just spoken. The grandeur of events in the 
estimation of these objectors depends upon the number of per- 
sons immediately engaged in, or affected by them ; and perhaps 
by the want of variety, is meant a deficiency of such grand 
events. The occurrences which are recorded in our colonial an- 
nals are in themselves sufficiently numerous and clearly discrimi- 
nated, but by those who regard them as insignificant they are not 
deemed worthy of the name of incidents in history, though they 
would be honored by that name, and pronounced deeply exciting, 
if found in the pages of a domestic novel. But the true gran- 
deur of all events is derived from the mind and heart of man, and 
not from the " sphere, the scale of circumstance" which has been 
well said to be " all which makes the wonder of the many." 
Neither will any true history be wanting in variety ; for whatever 
resemblances may be traced in the transactions of men, and in the 
providential disposition of human affairs, and however the same 
eternal principles are constantly illustrated by them, there is yet 



13 

in the current of events nothing that can be called monotonous 
repetition. 

Without relying, however, upon principles like these, which 
to some may appear to border upon subtlety, I am convinced 
that all who are really familiar with the subject would agree, 
that kw portions of history exceed in varied and absorbing inter- 
est that which tells of the settlement of the American Colonies, 
and their progress, until they became united in a common cause, 
and under a general central government. In whatever aspect it 
is viewed, it has the strongest claims upon our attention. In the 
first place, the settlement of North America is connected with the 
most important political and social developments of modern Eu- 
rope, and was the immediate result of great causes there in oper- 
ation. The progress of the human mind toward greater freedom 
of action was at that time displaying itself in various forms. It 
was first exhibited in the increased boldness of commercial enter- 
prise. Spain was at the very height of her glory, when the discov- 
eries of Columbus opened a new field to her ambition for extend- 
ed dominion, and to that headlong pursuit of riches which was a 
passion with her people. The same spirit spread to France and 
England, and the foremost men of the time embarked in the nu- 
merous adventures to the New World, which held out the most 
flattering promises, both of wealth and honor. Soon after, the 
principles of religious liberty were rapidly developed, civil war 
agitated the States of Europe, persecution abounded, and the op- 
pressed of every sect sought refuge on our shores from the fury 
of intolerance. From the attempt to secure freedom in religious 
doctrine and worship, arose what then seemed daring notions of 
civil liberty ; for the civil power was used to enforce ecclesiastical 
tyranny, and the mind once unchained resents all limitation of 
thought or opinion. But in this respect there were some, who, 
by the force of peculiar circumstances, and, perhaps, by the natu- 
ral vigor of their minds, were far in advance of the mass of those 
among whom they lived ; it was impossible to approach the realiza- 
tion of their views at home ; they therefore looked with prophetic 



14 

hopes to America as the land destined by Providence for the es- 
tablishment of their principles, and themselves undertook to lay 
the foundation of free governments in the wilderness. Thus all 
the interest that attaches to these great movements in the Old 
World, necessarily follows their results in the New. 

But consider further, how various were the original characteris- 
tics of the several colonies which constitute the elements of our 
great Republic. Massachusetts and Connecticut were established 
by strong-minded English puritans, men of stern religious views, 
and earnest advocates of the principles of civil liberty ; eager to 
encounter every hardship that a strange and inclement climate 
and an inhospitable soil could inflict, rather than live where they 
were obliged to conform to modes of worship of which they did not 
approve. — In Maryland, the English Roman Catholics took refuge 
from the mortifying disabilities and the severe persecutions under 
which they labored in their native land, and with a liberality be- 
fore unknown, and which reflects immortal honor on the name 
of Calvert, proclaimed the most absolute freedom of religious 
opinion, and toleration of every form of Christian worship. — 
Shortly after, Rhode Island, an offshoot from Massachusetts, was 
offered by Roger Williams " as a shelter for all who were oppressed 
for conscience," and gathered within her limits a strange 
medley of sects and opinions. — In Pennsylvania, its great founder 
and his company of Friends, (of the people called Quakers), who 
had been so long the special marks for the severest penalties, and 
the most insulting indignities, were bent on illustrating in combi- 
nation the principles of unresisting peace, of perfect liberty, and of 
the most fraternal equality, both in matters of religion and civil gov- 
ernment. — The settlements of Virginia and New York were made 
by commercial associations, but of different nations ; and the marked 
distinction in the character of the emigration to each was scarcely 
greater than that which separated them both from most of the 
other colonies. — The Carolinas were founded as a great land 
speculation, by a company of nobles, statesmen, and philoso- 
phers, who framed for their colonists, on the most scientific theo- 



15 

retical principles, a system of government, which a short experi- 
ence showed to be utterly unfit for practical use. — Georgia, the last 
in order of time of the thirteen original States, was founded 
on the purest principles of philanthropy and charity, as an asylum 
where the poor might regain the comforts of home "without money, 
and without price," and the persecuted find rest and security. — 
But besides the colonies of the English and Dutch, the French 
and the Spaniards established themselves on the shores of the 
Gulf of Mexico, and in the valley of the Mississippi, and joined 
to their commercial enterprise a missionary zeal for the conver- 
sion of the Indian tribes. 

From this hurried recapitulation, it will at once be seen 
what great variety there is in the subject of our early history, 
and that to each of the Colonies is attached a distinct and 
peculiar interest. Yet, however different were the motives which 
led to the establishment of the several Colonies, and however 
dissimilar were the materials of which they were originally 
composed, whether in race, in habits, or in the shade of their 
political and religious opinions, there are observable in all, 
certain important points of resemblance arising from the circum- 
stances that surrounded them. In all, became soon apparent ten- 
dencies which led to a constant assimilation. In all, there was 
the same rapid development of the principles of liberty, the same 
impatience of external control, and the same instinct toward 
union with each other. Thus, in the midst of great diversity, 
there is found that unity which makes of the whole, one grand 
historic subject ; and it is this unity in diversity which gives to 
every great work, either in literature or art, its highest interest and 
perfection. 

On these points of resemblance it is not my purpose to dwell, 
for the subject pursued in detail would carry me beyond the 
bounds of your patience ; but I will merely remind you of one 
striking general characteristic, the source of many others, which 
gives to the early history of America, a peculiar interest, and dis- 
tinguishes it remarkably from the history of all the great nations 



16 

of the Old World. I refer to the deliberate formation of societies, 
and the institution of governments by men already civilized, in a 
wild and uncultivated country, fresh as it came from the hands of 
the Creator. In the Old World, the race of man became civilized, 
and the earth yielded to cultivation simultaneously. There, amid 
the savage landscape stood savage men, but one grade above the 
beasts which they hunted, and with whose skins they were clothed. 
By and by, they framed dwellings for themselves, and tilled the 
ground for their supply of food. Then followed the association 
of families for the purposes of mutual protection ; agriculture im- 
proved ; arts arose to add to the comforts of life ; and some ideas 
of government began to develop themselves, but generally in the 
rude and simple forms of despotism. At length, nations grew up, 
with their systems of policy, which were variously modified by 
circumstances of friendly intercourse, of mutual conflict, of ex- 
ternal conquest, and internal commotion ; and from such causes, 
added to the force of custom, institutions were moulded into cer- 
tain almost inflexible shapes by the time that the height of civiliza- 
tion was attained. Thus, when the minds of men had become 
ripe for the comprehension of great political questions, and able to 
adjust the general forms and particular details of government on 
well-considered principles, the strong barriers of prescription 
stood in the way, and made the adoption of the wisest theories, 
not only dangerous, but impossible. Far other was the case of 
our North American Colonists. They abandoned a densely in- 
habited and highly cultivated country, in which all the arts of civ- 
ilized life had reached a high degree of advancement, and came 
to regions yet untouched by the hand of labor, and rich in all the 
untamed luxuriance of nature. Imagine the impression that 
must have been made on the minds of those bold adventurers by 
the wildness of the scenery, the mighty rivers and bays, the wide- 
spread savannas, and the majestic unthinned growth of our 
forests, so strongly contrasting with the trimly cultivated fields of 
their former home. Here then was civilized man, placed in imme- 
diate communion with the grand original forms of nature, set free, 



17 

also, by the force of circumstances, from most of the habits and 
prejudices acquired in his native country, and deriving independ- 
ence and vigor of thought from the very necessity of arousing all 
his energies into contest with the difficulties of his new situation. 
The hardships, too, which men of all ranks had to suffer together, 
brought out sympathies which had previously been unexercised, 
and tended to break down merely artificial distinctions. It was a 
natural consequence, that the principles of government adopted 
by these men should partake of the influences that surrounded 
them, and be more in accordance with the theoretic views of en- 
lightened minds than any that had been in practical operation in 
the Old World. Indeed, the rapid growth of sentiments and 
principles, which are generally of most tardy development, and 
fortunately so, perhaps, did, in North America, get in advance of 
philosophical thinkers and writers ; and our history has been almost 
taken out of the line of ordinary precedents, so that much of Old 
World experience has been made unavailable for our example. 
Could there, then, be presented to our consideration a subject of 
deeper interest or of more weighty importance ? 

But to ascertain the true principles of government, and trace 
their development, although the highest of merely human studies, 
is not equally attractive to all, and even the most philosophical 
readers are dissatisfied if there is not something of a more excit- 
ing nature, something of what may be called the interest of per- 
sonal adventure. In this respect our colonial history is certainly not 
deficient. On the contrary, it is particularly rich in materials for 
every variety of attractive narrative, and there are some characters 
which figure prominently in its records, whose heroic adventures 
are scarcely less romantic than those of the knights errant of old. 
I have already spoken of the distinguishing characteristics of the 
different colonies, and of the various great motives which in each 
case first prompted their establishment. But it may well be imag- 
ined that the motives and designs which in each colony led to the 
emigration of the individuals and families of which it was com- 
posed, must have been still more various. Some men of bold and 
3 



18 

independent minds, and devout hearts, embarked with their fami- 
lies, leaving all the comforts and delightful associations of their 
well-provided homes, that they might find in a new country, a 
place where they could worship God, unmolested, in the form 
most agreeable to their conscience ; and among these, a part had 
already suffered persecution, and a part fled from that which seem- 
ed to be impending. There were others, whose bitter experience 
of political tyranny had led them to adopt liberal opinions, of 
which they otherwise would scarcely have dreamed, and who hast- 
ened to escape the oppression which they knew awaited them. 
Many, whose fortunes were decayed by extravagance, or swept 
away by inevitable disaster, sought to retrieve their position, or 
hide the mortification of humbled pride at a distance from the 
sphere in which they had formerly moved. There were some, 
whom a kind of romantic avarice had led away from ease and 
competence to search for the golden treasures which were sup- 
posed to abound in every part of America ; there were ambit- 
ious spirits who coveted the glory of discovering new countries, 
and founding new empires ; and souls of still loftier aim, who, urged 
by the noblest impulses of humanity and religion, had deter- 
mined to devote their lives to spreading civilization and Christi- 
anity among the savage tribes of this continent. Besides all 
these, there were men of ardent dispositions, carried away by 
the mere love of adventure, which spread at that time with 
a rapid contagion, and they crowded to these shores, high 
in hope, but with uncertain aims, and full of extravagant and 
undefined expectations. The ideal, which was mingled with even 
the most sordid of these motives, aroused enthusiasm, and pro- 
duced the most romantic displays of boldness, of energy, and 
of all the highest qualities of human nature. 

Let us call to mind that time, when in almost every harbor in 
Europe, ships were spreading their sails to transport the nume- 
rous emigrants for America, all of whom, sad as they may have 
been at tearing themselves away from long-endeared associations, 
yet carried with them a rich freight of imaginative hopes. What 



19 

would we not give for the true history of the humblest of these 
little bands, and of the individuals that composed them ? How 
much of romance would such a narrative reveal to us, and with 
what a warm sympathy should we follow them in the voyage which 
was then so hazardous, and after their arrival at their destined 
homes, through all their struggles with the dangers, difficulties, and 
even inconveniences of their new situation. Merely in what may 
be called the simple domestic incidents of such a story, independ- 
ently of any extraordinary display of personal qualities, would be 
found an interest generally attractive. It is true, that much of 
this minute and private history is now out of our reach, but the 
materials for such narratives are far more abundant and accessible 
than is generally supposed, and from them a most animated pict- 
ure might be produced of the state of society in the early days of 
our several colonies. But if we go a step higher, and from the 
mass, select those who were the great leaders in these various 
enterprises, we shall find that some of the most remarkable men 
whose names are recorded in history, were connected with the 
settlement of our country, and that in regard to the career of 
many of them, copious details are preserved, in which are exhibi- 
ted the most extraordinary vicissitudes of fortune, the most ro- 
mantic personal adventures, the greatest qualities of mind, and the 
loftiest heroism of character. 

I refer merely to such as were engaged in the discovery and 
settlement of that part of our continent now occupied by the 
States of our confederacy. Among the first of these was Ponce 
de Leon, the discoverer of Florida. In his youth he had distin- 
guished himself in the famous wars with Granada, of which Irvino- 
has given us so vivid a picture ; in his manhood, prompted by 
avarice, ambition, and an extravagant love of adventure, he accom- 
panied Columbus in his second voyage to the New World ; he 
was engaged in the wars of Hispaniola ; and after passing through 
various vicissitudes, and when age would have tamed the spirit of 
most men, he organized a band of superstitious enthusiasts like 
himself, and landed them on the coast of Florida, in search of 



20 

precious ores, and jewels, of whose abundance there they did not 
entertain a doubt, and in search of that fountain of life, in the ex- 
istence of which they had implicit faith, that stream which was to 
bestow upon them all, the health, vigor, and beauty of perpetual 
youth. 

Not many years afterward De Soto came to the same shores 
with his troop of gallant and high-born Spaniards, who, richly 
and gaily equipped, as if they were part of a royal pageant, 
marched through forests and everglades, through fertile valleys, 
and over barren plains and wooded mountains, as they proceeded 
from Florida through Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi, to the 
great Father of Waters, then through Arkansas and Missouri, and 
down again to Louisiana. In the course of this wonderful expe- 
dition, which occupied the space of three years, these daring ad- 
venturers encountered the severest hardships, and had sharp and 
bloody conflicts with the various tribes of Indians that occupied 
the country ; but they found not the darling gold which was one 
great object of their enterprise, nor those magnificent cities from 
whose plunder they hoped to be enriched, nor those great empires 
which they had aspired to make their own by conquest. The 
career of De Soto, and the traits of his personal character, were 
extraordinary. He fought with Pizarro, in Peru, and beside the 
glory he there acquired by feats of arms, he shared largely in the 
wealthy spoils of that ravaged empire. Having returned to Spain, 
his restless and ambitious spirit could not be contented with what 
he had already accomplished ; he summoned around him six hun- 
dred chosen men, bold, ardent, and imaginative, like himself, and 
with these he proposed to achieve still greater wealth and fame, 
and attain a height of power which all his contemporaries might 
envy. But his ambition, and his avarice, and the courage, energy, 
and perseverance, which were always ready to second them, were 
doomed to sleep for ever beneath the waves of the Mississippi, 
which mighty stream, he was the first of Europeans to discover. 
Such were some of the men with whose names the early history 
of one part of our country is associated, and what exciting inter- 



21 

est can be given to their adventures may be easily understood by 
all who are acquainted with the brilliant pages, in which Prescott 
has described the career and exploits of the conquerers of Mex- 
ico and Peru, their kindred in race, and almost identical with 
them in personal characteristics. 

Resembling these in all their better qualities, in fearless enter- 
prise, in chivalric bravery, in undaunted perseverance and hardi- 
hood, but without their ferocity and unscrupulous cupidity, far 
superior to them indeed, in all the higher moral attributes, as well 
as in strength and clearness of intellect, were those great English 
men, who first of their nation attempted to colonise our shores. 
The mere mention of Sir Walter Ralegh recalls to our minds, 
everything that is noble in character and action, and the simplest 
narrative of his life has charms which could scarcely be enhanced 
by the most powerful writer of fiction. We may claim, however, 
as more peculiarly belonging to American Annals, the name of 
Captain John Smith, one of the most remarkable, and I hesitate 
not to say, one of the greatest men that ever lived. His career 
was full of the most singular vicissitudes. When scarcely more 
than a youth, he had distinguished himself as a soldier in various 
countries, — like a knight errant, always fighting against oppres- 
sion and barbarity. He was taken and enslaved by the Turks. 
After his escape, and when he had enriched his mind by foreign 
travel, while yet in his early manhood, he engaged with character- 
istic ardor in the establishment of colonies in North America, not 
cheated by any delusive dreams, born of avarice or the low ambit- 
ion for conquest, but eager to found happy and prosperous com- 
monwealths. He was a hardy, adventurous, and skilful navigator, 
a sagacious, and strong-willed leader of men, a statesman of com- 
prehensive and liberal views, full of resources for every emergency, 
and administering government with the utmost wisdom, firmness, 
and justice. He was, besides, in his private character, upright 
and disinterested. There are few in whom all the elements 
which form the highest style of man have been mingled in such 
due proportion ; and though some may regard his sphere of action 



22 

limited, because he never commanded great armies, nor swayed 
with immediate power the destiny of a large empire, I know not 
upon what true principles of judgment the name of Captain John 
Smith can be excluded from the roll of the greatest and best men 
whom the world has produced. 

The early history of New England is crowded with names of 
men remarkable in their characters and actions, concerning whom, 
too, there exist the most ample and varied materials of biographi- 
cal interest. It is sufficient barely to remind you, of the two 
Winthrops, men whose minds combind in a rare degree both 
strength and refinement, and whose benevolence and moderation 
of spirit were allied to an unshrinking firmness ; of the younger 
Vane, — " young in years, but in sage counsel old ;" of the 
learned and devout, but somewhat bigotted Cotton ; the pious, 
energetic, and enthusiastic Hooker; and of Eliot, the devoted 
"Apostle of the Indians." 

Turning now to our own State, we shall find among the leading 
men who projected and carried on the colonization of Maryland, 
little of the wild spirit of adventure so common in some of the 
States, and little, perhaps, of that deep intellectual agitation which 
so strikingly characterized the settlers of New England. But 
such men as the Calverts are rarely met with in history, and there 
are few, indeed, whose characters are more thoroughly deserving 
of our admiration and study. That they, who at home belonged 
to a persecuted sect, did establish in their proprietary dominions, 
and maintain there as long as they held a controlling influence, 
the most perfect toleration that the world at that time had ever 
known, is a fact sufficient in itself to give assurance, that they 
possessed a rare combination of the highest personal qualities. 

How different from all whom I have mentioned was William 
Penn ; yet how interesting are the particulars of his life, and how 
singular a study does his character present? Many causes have 
made his history more generally familiar than that of many of the 
founders of the American colonies ; and the revival of certain 



23 

charges against him in the recent work of Macaulay will probably 
lead to a still further discussion of his acts and motives. 

I might thus proceed, were it necessary, to demonstrate by 
many more examples, the richness and variety of the materials 
for attractive narratives furnished by our early annals, even when 
viewing them apart from the political interest of the events re- 
corded. Indeed, it is the biographical portion of history which 
is most captivating, and perhaps, too, most profitable, to the 
majority of readers. I fear I have already taxed your patience 
too far, but I cannot refrain from reminding you of the history of 
the French settlements in the valley of the Mississippi. There 
cannot, I believe, be a more romantic and exciting story than that 
which tells of the fortunes of La Salle, and his companions and 
successors, in the western wilds, and of the devoted Jesuits, who 
scorned all difficulties, and braved all dangers, to spread among 
savage tribes those doctrines of Christianity, for which many of 
them so joyfully suffered martyrdom. 

It cannot, then, be truly said, that our early history is uninter- 
esting, because it wants variety. On the contrary, the great diffi- 
culty seems to be, that there is too much variety. The historian is 
bewildered in the midst of his abundant stores, embarrassed with his 
riches ; there are so many States, with each its separate current of 
events, which must yet be made to turn into a common channel. 
Those, who have attempted to write the history of the North Ameri- 
can colonies, have in general been so intent on bringing the whole 
subject into what they think will be considered a reasonable com- 
pass, that they have compressed the parts so as in a great measure to 
destroy their vitality. They have presented us with meagre out- 
lines merely, almost as bare as a sexton's chronicle. There are 
certainly portions of Grahame's and Bancroft's volumes which are 
noble exceptions to this remark, but for the most part, like the 
first explorers of California, we pass over what seem desert tracts, 
with but little idea of the treasures they hide ; whence many 
have doubtless been led to suppose, that there was some inhe- 
rent deficiency in the subject itself. To be interesting or to be 



24 

useful, history must be written in detail, and I believe that there 
is wanting a much more extended and copious narrative of our 
colonial times than any we yet possess. 

How then can the study of American Colonial History be now 
pursued satisfactorily ? Only by taking it in detail ourselves, and 
mastering the history of the separate colonies. For this the large 
number of works now published in the different States supply us 
with ample resources. Does the field seem extensive, and do we 
shrink from the labor ? The time required for the purpose would 
not exceed what many among us spend during the course of 
several years in reading the works of fiction, with which the press 
has so long teemed from week to week. The reading public, 
however, is becoming satiated, it would seem, with the unsub- 
stantial fare on which it has so long fed. There are strong indi- 
cations of the development of a more healthy appetite, and it is 
of great importance that attention should now be particularly 
directed to the history of our own country, that its capabilities 
may be generally understood and fully appreciated. What neglect 
there has heretofore been, is apparent from the fact, that of our 
ante-Revolutionary period, there exists no complete history, of any 
reputation, by an American author, unless Bancroft's, which stops 
at 1748, may be so considered ; and concerning the Revolution 
itself, we are entirely destitute of any thorough and accurate work, 
which is destined to live. 

The dry manner, in which much of our history has been written, 
has naturally enough confirmed the idea entertained by too many, 
that it is in itself uninteresting. False notions were for a long 
time prevalent in regard to what was required by the dignity of 
history. But these have now been happily dispelled. Many of 
those familiar particulars which serve to connect us with the past, 
which are the common points of sympathy between men of all 
ages, which in fact give us the liveliest idea of the form and pres- 
sure of the time described, — these are no longer discarded as un- 
worthy the pen of a serious writer, nor are they even pushed 
aside into the notes, or packed away in an appendix. The new 



25 

school of historians must combine the most thorough accuracy of 
fact with an imaginative transposition into the period depicted, 
joining the familiar and romantic occurrences with the graver de- 
tail, so that the narrative may present the same varied scene of 
life which daily passes before us. We must be made to feel, that 
men like ourselves, are acting and speaking, and that the facts 
related are only so much added to our own personal experience. 
Thus Arnold, whose scrupulous love of truth was his ruling pas- 
sion, has added new glories to the annals of ancient Rome, even 
while correcting the careless blunders of her own historians, and 
has brought out, in the most life-like reality, the transactions of 
those remote times, making the career of Hannibal, and of Scipio, 
as personally interesting, and the relation of their exploits as 
stirring to the blood as the modern story of Napoleon's battles and 
fortunes. But while the dry stiff style of the old school is to be 
condemned, nothing should be more carefully avoided than that 
anxiety to produce pictorial effect, which, by the various disposition 
of lights and shades, by the skilful heightening of color, and by 
well-managed suppressions and exaggerations, destroys the rela- 
tive proportions of events and characters, and leaves a false im- 
pression on the mind of the reader, even where there is no literal 
mis-statement of fact. The historian, who resorts to such arts, 
may secure a large circle of delighted readers ; but, as the vanity 
of authorship, rather than the love of truth, has inspired his com- 
position, he can never be considered a wise teacher or a safe 
guide. 

But there is one cause of the neglect of American history 
among us, which is, I doubt not, more powerful, and yet less gen- 
erally recognised than any other. It is the want of a national 
literature. I do not mean to join in the reproaches which have 
been so often vented on this subject, nor do I mean to say, that 
we have not as copious and as national a literature as any other 
people would have had under the same circumstances, and in the 
short period which has passed since we achieved our independ- 
ence. I believe the contrary to be the fact. But literary works 
4 



26 

of a high order are in all countries the accumulation of time. 
We have claimed, and do still claim, Bacon and Hooker, and 
Shakespeare and Milton, and the other great names in English lit- 
erature as a common heritage with those who live in the land of 
our forefathers. And so, indeed, they are. Yet they do in fact 
lead us away unconsciously from our own history, and they also 
lead away our literary men from the home subjects to which they 
would otherwise naturally tend. The standard works in divinity, 
in philosophy, in prose fiction, and in poetry, which are upon all 
our shelves, which have been our delight from childhood, and 
which minister comfort to our age, are for the greater part, 
necessarily from the Old World. Their subjects are of the Old 
World, and from its history are chiefly drawn their illustrations, 
and their allusions to events and to characters. To understand 
and appreciate them, we must be acquainted with that history. 
If in this respect we are ignorant, we are continually shamed 
until our ignorance is repaired. 

This is not only the case with those who are merely readers, 
but even with most of our authors. Those very works of genius, 
to which I have referred, are the models on which they form their 
style ; and thus a constant influence is exercised on their choice 
of subject, their tone of thought, and range of illustration. This 
is especially observable in our poetry ; and it is therefore, that in 
almost all the verse which is yearly published amongst us, and the 
quantity is really surprising, we seem to hear an echo, more or 
less distinct, of some foreign song. There is some truth, perhaps, 
in the remark of De Tocqueville, that from many of the resources 
of original poetry the Americans are cut off, by the want of 
those thousand delicate associations with the past, round which 
the imagination loves to cling; but that we possess a new element 
of sublimity in the grand future that is opening before us, and 
which points to a national destiny which might enflame with en- 
thusiasm the highest order of genius. In all nations, however, 
great poets are rare, and when Providence bestows so great a 
blessing upon us, — when an American Milton shall at last rise, and 



27 

in self-dependent strength give utterance to a strain in unison with 
that grandeur, which is everywhere impressed on the natural features 
of our fortunate land, — a strain which will be forever associated with 
our great inland seas, with the sweep and volume of our mighty 
rivers, the wild sublimity of our mountains, the expanse of our 
prairies, and the majestic growth and boundless extent of our 
forests, and with the great hopes of the American heart — then, 
and not before, will the chain of our intellectual dependence be 
broken. 

I would not be understood to say, that we should give up this 
heritage which we have received from our English forefathers. It 
would be folly, indeed, if we should deny ourselves all the advau 
tage and all the pleasures, which may be received, from the litera- 
ture of England. But it is well to be on our guard, that it may not 
withdraw us too much from the study of our own history, and that 
it may not divert the talents of American writers from the subjects 
on which they would be most congenially employed. 

I have presented to you, gentlemen of the Historical Society, 
such considerations as have suggested themselves to my mind in 
relation to the capabilities of our own Colonial History, as a sub- 
ject for interesting narrative particularly deserving the atten- 
tion both of authors and readers. I am painfully conscious that 
I have said nothing which has not often been said before, and 
with far greater force ; but it may be useful to repeat truths, which, 
however trite they may seem in the enunciation, have not yet 
been recognised in practical effects. 

I have spoken of our colonial history with regard to a single 
view, — I have sought only to combat the prevalent notion that it 
is uninteresting. Its great importance as a subject of political 
study, it would scarcely be necessary to enforce. But I cannot 
resist quoting the opinions expressed on both these points by 
Grahame, a Scotchman, whose history of our colonies, in spite of 
certain faults and deficiencies sufficiently apparent, is perhaps the 
best which has yet been published. He says, that " American 
history is the noblest in dignity, the most comprehensive in utility, 



28 

and the most interesting in progress and event, of all the subjects 
of thought and investigation." Again, he calls it, " the most in- 
teresting historical subject a human pen ever undertook." If 
such are the feelings, which our history inspired in the bosom of a 
foreigner, what should be the feelings of those who are the child- 
ren of the soil? 

You are engaged, then, gentlemen of the Historical Society, in 
a noble work. You have associated yourselves for the purpose of 
searching out and preserving every record, every fact, and every 
illustration, which may have a bearing on the history of our own 
State, and of our own Continent. Persevere in your useful indus- 
try, and gather into your magazine every fragment of truth, how- 
ever insignificant it may at first appear. Regard not the scoffs, 
which are sometimes directed against the spirit of antiquarianism. 
Exactness in investigating the smallest matters will prove useful 
in the end, although we do not at once see the connexions, which 
really exist between minute facts and events of importance. In 
our reverence for truth it is impossible that there ever can be any- 
thing superstitious. The scattered bones, which seemed to their 
various collectors to bear no relation to each other, and gave rise 
only to indefinite wonder, the genius and learning of a Cuvier 
united with perfect certainty into ante-diluvian monsters, whose 
nature and habits he has accurately revealed to us. It was, in a 
great measure, by the combination of minute particulars, scattered 
statements or allusions in ancient authors, inscriptions and monu- 
ments, coins and relics, that the great Niehbuhr was able to de- 
monstrate the numerous and gross errors of ancient Roman 
historians, and to fix a great part of the history of that nation on 
a basis of well proved facts. How great, then, is our encourage- 
ment, living as near as we do to the fountain heads of our own 
history. It is our duty, and let it be our pleasure, as lovers of our 
country, and as servants of truth, to see that from those fountain 
heads the stream of our history shall flow on to the future time 
Unstained with the slightest admixture of falsehood. 



•\ 



